The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-19
EVIDENCE AGAINST IsAACS
Beginning of His Second Trial for the
Murder of Thomas Conaughton.
The Prosecuting Attorney Announces that He
Expects to Prove the Prisoner Guilty Upon
the Testimony of Three Witnesses.

It will be just four months next Friday since
Thomas Conaughton was shot down near No.
122 Virginia avenue, while running from Con-
stable Reinhold. The murder was one OF the
most mysterious that ever occurred in the city.
Merchant Policeman Isaacs and Reinhold were
both arrested and acquitted before the Mayor.
The grand jury then began work on the case.
and after two months of investigation returned
an indictment against Isaacs six weeks ago.
When he arraigned for trial yesterday morn
ing the courtroom was insufficient to hold the
people who wanted to listen to the evidence.
The accused appeared haggard from his con-
fnement He was attended by his daughter,
prepossessing young lady of eighteen years. and
a son, perhaps ten years of age. His counsel are
Messrs. Harding & Hovey, who have all along
given notice that their defense will be a general
denial, and they have hopes that before the con-
clusion of the case the real perpetrator of the
crime will be revealed
The work of empaneling ju ry began at 10
o'clock. A special venire OF thirty farmers had
been drawn. but it exhausted before noon
and only nine men were in the box. During the
noon hour another venire of twelve men was
issued on citizens of the city, and only two of
them remained when twelve satisfactory men
had been found, at 3 o'clock. They are William
Yeager, John Seers, John D. Morris William
Snyder. Samuel Mullenhoff. George f. Merry
man. Asa Skinner, Edward T. Bronson, Jonas
Hamlin, John R. Schulz. Ezra Hamilton, and
James A. Merryman. twenty-five witnesses
came forward and were sworn in body. and it
was stated that not one-haf of those subpenaed
were present
After the jury had been sworn Prosecutor
Mitchell read the Indictment charging Isaacs
with murder in the first degree and stated the
States case follows: ''We will be able to
show that on the evening OF the 22nd of Decem-
Der last Thomas Conaughton was stopping at
the boarding house of Mrs. Sarah Flesher. No
122 Virginia avenue: that Louis Reinhold. con-
stable with warrant for Conaughton's arrest,
weutto the house, between and o'clock. and
after having some conversation with Conaughton.
the latter ran away Reinhold shot at the ground
twice. and Conaughton jumped the fence into
Virginia avenue and ran north to a coal-shed,
where he turned east AID ran toward New Jer-
sey street. just after he had passed tho
coal shed running east some person fired two
shots from the shed, one of which
struck him in the left side. and caused his death
We think we will have the proof to show that
the defendant is the person who shot Con-
aUSuCOu. Ii WILL De IN evidence L0aC the DE-
ceased said the man who shot him had gone east
toward New Jersey street, and that he had on
SLOUGH hat. By man who has known Mr.
lsaacs for seventeen years, we Will have state
ment that he saw 1saacs fire the fatal shot. We
will also have the testimony Of one who followed
the man going east. overlook him, and says it
was Isaacs. We will also prove that Mr.. Isaacs
said to one OF our witnesses that Reinhold had
done the shooting We will show by three re-
liable witnesses that Isaacs is the guilty man"
Robert Campbell, captain of the Metropoli-
tan police force, was the first witness. He res-
titled that on the evening Of Dec. % he was
coming to rolleall. and was between the two
frelght-houses on South Alabama street, when
he heard two shots fired behind him in quick
succession. He turned and was running back
when he heard the third shot. As be passed the
c., FL. q l. freight office he saw some one knock
ing on the window. AT the coal shed ne met
Sergeant Sauers and Reinhold He asked Rein
hold what that shooting was about, and the CON
stable replied that he had a warrant 'isr
Conaughton, and had shot at him to stop him.
Patrolman Slate who had run back with him,
went on east a few yards and found Conaugh
ton leaning against a car He heard the wound
ed man say nothing about who had shot him.
He Immediately put Reinhold under arrest.
did you ever hear the deceased make any
statement as to who killed hlml" asked the pros
ecutor The defense objected TO any statement
the deceased made when near death, and tho
objection was sustained by the judge.
On cross examination Mr.. Campbell said he
thought Mr.. Stiles was the man tapping on the
freight office window. He did not see Elmer
SECURE there until about the time the patrol
wagon came for the wounded man. AS soon as
he saw Conaughton was shot he went to the c.,
II. s. l. Office to telephone for the wagon. and
saw Mcclure there. Where he first met Rein
hold was about fifty feet east of the coal-shed
and just north of the rear OF Mrs. Fleshers resi-
dence. The street light was burning, and If
there had been a man between him and New
Jersey street ne could have seen him. He only
heard three shots.
Patrolman Henry Slate was the next witness.
| He was coming up Virginia avenue when Cap
tain Campbell, who was short distance behind
| him, called to him to wait He heard two shots,
and after he had started back he heard two m ore
| When he ard Campbell reached the coal shed,
| Campbell ran on south. and he turned east and
ran toward New Jersey street. About one hun
dred feet from the shed he found Conaughton
| leaning against the There vas near
| Conaughton but himself until the other officers
| came up. He looked toward New Jersey street
to see if any one was running in that direction,
/ and saw
What did Conaughton say about the man
| who shot himl"
HE said he was tall man with SLOUGH hat
| and a black mus.ache."
| DIR. Rocker. who was coroner at the time,
| testified that ne was present when the post
mortem examination was held at the residence
! of the uncle of the deceased, Thomas Reagan,
No. y Fletche, avenue, and gave to the jury the
| particulars of the wound. He also took the dy-
| ing statement OF the deceased, but the defense
| objected to its being admitted as evidence, and
| the court asked time to consider the objection
| Andrew SAVERS, sergeant on the police force,
was the last witness examined. He was few
| feet south of Mrs. Fleshers. residence, on his
way to roll-call, when be heard shot fred from
| the rear part of the yard. A moment later he
| saw the flash Of second shot on the south side
| of the house, and saw Reinhold running toward
| the avenue
What are you doingl" the witness called to
| Reinhold.
! II shot at man. was the response.
| He did not know what became of Reinhold
| from the time he called to him on the south eide
| of the house until he came up to him in the coal
1 yard. He did not see Isaacs there
! The principal witness this morning will be
| Enoch j. Williams, the man who claims he saw
| Isaacs fire the shot. Reinhold is still in Jail in
/ Cincinnati. and if he does not get released. by
agreement. his statement of the affair before the
| coroner will be read in evidence.